Ruths Recompense, Commentary on Ruth · Chapter 3 · Verse 3
Verſe 3. Waſh thy ſelfe therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment vponupon thee, and get thee downe to the floore: but make not thy ſelfe knowne to the man, vntill he ſhall hauehave done eating and drinking.
NAomi her counſell to her daughter in law, Ruth, ſhewing whither ſhee ſhould goe, what to doe before, in preparing to goe thither, and how warily ſhe ſhould carry her ſelfe, for being knowne till after ſupper.
Waſh thy ſelfe therefore;] That is, becauſe I would hauehave thee to goe to him, make thy ſelfe ready, and firſt waſh thy ſelfe. Waſhing is double, 2. Cor. 7. 1. Titus 3. 5. Pſal. 51.firſt inward, which the Apoſtle exhorteth vntounto, and this is it Dauid prayed for, and without which none can enter into the Kingdome ofIoh. 3. God; with this waſhing are we to approach nigh vntounto God, as Ruth by her waſhing went vntounto Boaz. The ſecond is outward, and this is three fold: Firſt, typicall vnderunder the Law, commanded toExo. 40. 31, 32. and 19. 10. Titus 3. 5. the Prieſts and people, when they drew neere to God, which was a type of ſanctification and holineſſe.Pſal. 26. 6. Mat. 15. 2. Mat. 7. 3, 4. Secondly, ſuperſtitious, as that of the Iewes taken vp of themſelues, & condemned by Chriſt. Thirdly, ciuill cleanlines, the waſhing of the body from all bodily vncleanneſſe, and this is here meant, and here commended vntounto vsus. This outward ciuill cleanlineſse is praiſe worthy. And this2. Sam. 11. 2. and 12. 20. Exod. 2. 19. Euſ. hiſto. eccleſ. waſhing was vſed among the Iewes, and among the Heathen; Euſebius ſpeaketh of Iohns bathing himſelf. To be cleanly, is healthfull to vsus, delightſome to others, and commendable. God requiredDeut. 23. 13. of his people cleanlineſſe. Our Chriſtian profeſſion is pure and holy, which outward cleannes well befitteth, and ſeeing it is of good report,Phil. 4. 8. we are to obſerue it. This reproueth two ſorts: the firſt are ſuch as be ſluttiſh, naſty, and beaſtlike perſons, who hereby ſhew themſelues careleſſe of their credit, ſlothfull, or couetous, theyRead Calu. on Deut. 23. 13. be offenſiue, vnciuill, and vnwholeſome. The other ſort are they which will be cleanely, but yet ſpend too much time in trimming, waſhing, and ſtarching, and are ſo curiouſly neate, and ſo carefull to be fine and fare outwardly, as they ſpend their daies almoſt in doing nothing elſe; and ſo liue a proud idle life, like the hautie Dames of Iſrael, in their brauery, walking with ſtretched forth necks, with wanton eyes, with tinkling feet, walking and mincing as they goe, wanting humility, and often modeſty in geſture, countenance, and gate: but let them reade and remember what the Prophet Eſay threatneth againſt ſuch laſciuious wantons and luxurious minions, in the end of his third Chapter.
And anoynt thee.] Anointing had a religious vſe, as we may ſee in Exod. 40. Leuit. 7. Num. 7. 1. 1. Sam. 9. 16. which did type out the graces of Gods Spirit, Ezek. 16. 9. 1. Iohn 2. 27. This is the beſt anoynting, and to be laboured for. It had alſo a common vſe, as here, ſo in 2. Sam. 12. 20. it was vſuall, Mat. 6. 17. for Gods bleſſings may be vſed not onelyonly for meere neceſſity, but alſo for outward comelineſſe and moderate delight. The Creatures of God may be vſed not onelyonly for preſeruation of bodily life, but for beautifying of the body, and the better ſetting forth thereof, as it is in truth, and not counterfeited. Thus wine isPſal. 104. 1…. giuen to glad the heart, and oyle to make the face to ſhine. And therefore may Chriſtians lawfully vſe Gods creatures for outward comelines, and to preſerue that outward ſeemlineſſe which is Gods owne worke in vsus, by waſhing, and by anoynting. But here beware of exceſſe, that it be alſo ſeaſonable, that it be to a good end; beware of pride, of wantonneſſe, and learne to know the time of humiliation.
Queſt. Here it may be questioned, Whether it be lawfull to paint the face, for it is but and oyle?
Anſw. Surely no. Firſt, becauſe this is not to preſerue thy naturall beautie, by oyle to make it ſhine, but to make a counterfeit face: which is deceit and hypocriſie, which God hateth. We muſt lay aſide all manner of hypocriſie; and this is one1. Pet. 2. 1. of them. Secondly, this is vanitie of vanities: forProu. 31. 30. if beautie be vanitie, then much more the filthy counterfeit of it. It is great folly: for ſuch ſpoyle their naturall comlineſſe at length, as experience telleth, and the Prophet Ieremie ſpeaketh of rendingIer. 4. 30. the face with painting. Thirdly, this is great pride; for they diſlike the Lords workemanſhip, and adulterate it, and would be held fairer then God euer made them, and doe proudly glory before men, of a counterfeit viſage. Fourthly, it is not held a matter of good report and honeſty,Phil. 4. 8. which godly perſons ſhould follow after: but of diſhoneſty, ſuch being iudged to be light and lewd; in the Scripture it is the marke of a whore; and a whoriſh woman is deſcribed, Ierem. 4. 30. Ezech. 23. 40. and an vngodly woman ſo practiſed it; euen that Harlot and murdreſſe Iezabel painted2. King. 9. 30. her ſelfe: and we find by experience ſuch to be wantons and lewdly giuen. Fiftly, the godly and learned Fathers hauehave vtterly condemned it. aDe habitu virgin. Est opus diaboli, & manus inferunt Deo, &c.Saint Cyprian ſaith, It is the worke of the Deuil: and they offer wrong to God, in deſpiſing his worke, and framing another of their owne. bD… cultu foem. Negotium diaboli, indignum Chriſtiano.Tertullian calleth it the Deuils buſineſſe, vnworthy a Chriſtian. cIgnis iuuentutis, ſomentum libidinis, & impudicae m…ntis iudicium: Epiſt. ad Marcel.Saint Ierome ſaith, that it is the fire of youth, the fuell of luſt, and the ſigne of an vnchaſt mind. dDe adulterio vulius meditantur adulterium caſtitatis, &c.Saint Ambroſe ſaith, They which muſe or ſet their minds vponupon the adulterie of the countenance, doe ſo alſo vponupon the adulterating of chaſtity. So as theſe godly men thinke of them but as of whores, the Deuils ſeruants, betrayers of chaſtitie, and vnworthy to be accounted Chriſtians. Let ſuch therefore as neuer vſed it, beware of it, and ſuch as hauehave, repent, and ſuch as doe, abandon and forſake it: for as verball lying is forbidden, ſo actuall alſo; ſuch cannot looke vponupon God as his Creatures, but as counterfeits, and ſuch as be of the Deuils making; they ſee not their owne naturall face in a glaſſe, but the counterfeit of another, one perhaps damned in hell for whoredome already. Such as hauehave vſed this ſinfull practice, and hauehave turned to God, hauehave repented of this, as of an accurſed worke of the fleſh, and as proceeding from Satans inſtigation. Laſtly, no modeſt Matron euer vſed it, but chaſte hearts hauehave alwayes deteſted it, and therefore is it carefully to be auoided.
And put thy raiment vponupon thee;] That is, thy beſt apparell, or ſuch as thou haſt put vponupon thee handſomely. Concerning apparell I will ſpeake ſomewhat at large. In innocencie there was no need of rayment: Adam and Eue in that eſtate liued naked, and were not aſhamed, neither was there cauſe, for that they had not ſinned; but after the fall, it was of neceſſity to put on apparell, to couer our nakedneſſe, for preſeruation of our bodies, and to defend them from extreme cold, heate, and from hurts which they are ſubiect vntounto in going naked. So then, now we ſhould hauehave care for rayment, for our ſelues, for ſuch as dependProu. 31. 21. vponupon vsus, and for the poore, as Iob had.Iob 31. 19. Touching this neceſſity of wearing apparell, it is agreed vponupon on all hands, nature teacheth it, and need inforceth it, and herein to hauehave not onelyonly one ſute, but change alſo for ſhift, if we be able; for it is lawfull to hauehave change of rayment, yea to weare coſtly apparell, ſo it be comely. Of which I will ſpeake in order. We may hauehave change of rayment, there is a neceſſity in it, a cleanlineſſe alſo, and Ioſeph in louelove gaue to Beniamin fiueGen. 45. 22. changes of rayment, for him to weare. If any obiectMat. 10. 10. our Sauiour his forbidding two coats: We muſt know, it was no abſolute forbidding: for there he alſo forbids prouiding of money for their iourney, and other things elſe. But this was to ſhew, that they were to make ſpeed, and alſo to teach them to depend vponupon his prouidence; for he vndertooke to prouide for them in this iourney. And by this experience of Chriſts mercy towards them, he would teach them how to truſt in God, when hee was to ſend them abroad into all the world after his Aſcenſion. And therefore the begging Fryers hauehave hence no ground for their idle life, and for their hauing but one coate. True it is, that to hauehave changes of rayment, and to ſee our brother naked, hauing no cloathes to put on, and yet we not ſupply his want, were an vnmercifulneſſe, if ſo by our neglect of him, he ſhould periſh: otherwiſe we may weare change of rayment, yea & put on coſtly alſo, with changeable colours, & ornaments vponupon. Salomon wore coſtly attyre: ſo his wife, Ioſeph, Pſal. 45. Gen. 41. 42. Eſter 8. 15. Gen. 27. 29. Gen. 37. 7. 2. Sam. 13. 18. Eſter 8.Mordecai, and Eſau in Iſaacs houſe: they wore alſo garments of diuers colours: ſo did Ioſeph in Iacobs houſe, and Tamar Dauids daughter; and Mordecai was clad in white, blue, and purple. And as for ornaments, as eareings, bracelets, chaines, rings, Iewels of gold and ſiluer, the Lord allowed them to his people, & to weare them vponupon them;Exod 32 2. Gen. 24. 22, 23. and ſo did Rebecca weare ſuch, ſent by Abraham for Iſaacs wife: they be made for mans vſe; and therfore the godly vſing thē, and God allowing them, wee may vſe now our Chriſtian liberty therein. But here wee muſt obſerue decencie, which is a comelines befitting the perſon of eueryevery one. And here muſt be conſidered firſt, age, young or old: for the ſame color & faſhion befit not both alike. Secondly, the ſex, man and woman; for theſe muſt be diſtinguiſhed, as God ordained in Moſes Law: nature it ſelfe, reaſon, and lawes of well gouerned Common-weales doe ſo ordaine alſo. Thirdly,Vide Kick. de politeta, lib. 1. cap. 10. the profeſſion and calling of perſons, and the difference in place; for ſome be publike, ſome bee priuate, which muſt bee looked vntounto. It is therefore reproueable for publike perſons out of baſeneſſe, not to goe as their place requireth; and for priuate perſons to goe beyond their calling, and their condition of life, although it bee not aboue their habilitie; for this breedeth confuſion and diſcord: when ſuch alſo as by profeſſion ſhould be graue, as Scholers, and Miniſters, yet doe goe Ruffian like, it is worthy of reproofe, and puniſhment alſo. Fourthly, the manner of wearing muſt be obſerued; it muſt bee comely, with ſhamefaſtneſſe1. Tim. 2. 9. and modeſtie, both in men and women; we muſt ſo weare our apparell, as grace and vertue, and not corruption of heart and vice ſhould appeare to bee in vsus. The vertues which muſt appeare in vsus by our attire, are theſe: Firſt, is modeſtie; for raiment was to couer our ſhame, and therefore that whoriſh faſhion of going with naked breſts, and ſo low vncouered, as ſome doe, is to be abhorred of modeſt women, and chaſte virgins. Sulpitius Gallus, a Heathen Romane, fell out with his wife, becauſe ſhee went abroad with her face vncouered, and ſaid to her, The law limits my ſight vntounto thee, to which thou art to approue thy beauty, and to become faire and louely: but to bee willing to bee ſeene beautifull to others, muſt needs bring ſuſpition of an ill mind, and a ſtaine withall. I wiſh husbands to bee Sulpitius like to ſuch wiues as goe thus wantonly barebreſted, ſhewing how naked their hearts be vntounto luſtfull practices. But ſome fooliſh and harlotrie husbands doe delight to ſee their wiues and daughters to goe ſo; they be like Aſsuerus, who will hauehave Vaſhti to come forth to ſhew her ſelfe; but I wiſh the wiues in this thing like Vaſhti, and not to yeeld to their drunken humoured huſbands to goe ſo immodeſtly: but they are, perhaps, rewarded as they iuſtly deſerue ſometime: for can the ſhop-windows alway ſtand open, and no cuſtomers come at any time to buy? Secondly, is grauitie according to yeeres, and therefore all fantaſtick, light, vaine and daily ſtrange faſhions, now in one, then in another, is folly and vanitie, apiſh toying, and argueth great leuitie ofZeph. 1. 8. mind, condemned by the Word, and by all ſober and graue perſons. Thirdly, is frugalitie, for exceſſiue coſt is vnthriftineſſe, and herein a great conſumption to a mans eſtate, and an argument of idleneſſe, if men commonly goe coſtly. The rich Glutton is taxed for going coſtly, and fairingLuke 15. daintily eueryevery day, which brought him to hell at laſt. Fourthly, is humilitie: for indeed our rayment from the firſt cauſe, is a ſigne of our rebellion againſt God, and that wee hauehave loſt our innocency; and therefore we hauehave no more cauſe to be proud thereof, then a malefactor, of his halter, though it be golden. It is reproued as a fault in the daughters of Iudah, to be ſo proud of their attire:Iſai. 3. and we hauehave more reaſon to weepe, then to wax high-minded by this couering of our ſhame and nakedneſſe. I wiſh wee were like one Pambo a godly man being at Alexandria, and there ſeeingPet. de Natalib. Eccleſ. hiſt. lib. 8. cap. 1. a woman proud of her attire, fell a weeping; and being asked why he ſo wept, ſaid thus, Two cauſes mooue me; the one, to conſider the perdition of this woman; and the other, for that I beeing a Chriſtian, cannot ſtudy ſo much to pleaſe Chriſt by innocencie of life, as ſhee doth hereby deſire to pleaſe filthy and diſhoneſt men. Fifthly, is Pietie: when in time of humiliation and dayes of abſtinence, we goe as ſuch ſhould, who feele the hand of God, and apprehend his diſpleaſure againſt ſinne; and when we ſo aray our ſelues daily, as that modeſty, grauity, frugality, and humilitie may appeare therein; for why ſhould we not euen in our clothing ſet forth our profeſſion, and thereby grace our Religion? And this piety ſhall appeare, if when we garniſh the body, wee neglect not to beautifie the ſoule with learning and Religion; for a man in rich clothes, without other better qualities and endowments of mind, is, as Diogenes ſaid, a ſheepe in a golden fleece; and yet ſuch ſheepe hauehave wee in our Engliſh paſture, for want of grace, and better education, hauing nothing to ſet them out withall, but the brauerie of their clothing, which Auguſtus Caeſar called, The Enſigne of pride, and the neſt of luxurie;Vexillum ſuperbiae, & nidu… luxuriae. which wee finde in theſe dayes to bee young mens ouerthrow, a let to good houſe-keeping, an enforcing to enhaunſing of rents in Landlords, and in others to fall to ill ſhifts, when their owne meanes of lands and reuenewes faile them. And thus much for this point.
And get thee downe to the floore.] Take the opportunitie offred, to procure thy welfare: ſo ſhe is made by Naomi her aduice, to goe to Boaz, and to demand marriage of him; which might ſeeme not fitting, but by Moſes law it was allowed to theDeut. 25. woman widow without children, to claime marriage of the next kinſman, if he neglected to take her: and it was no more immodeſtie for women to claime that right then, then now for one betrothed to challenge the man for her husband: for where God alloweth the thing, it taketh away the ſcandall and offence, which otherwiſe might iuſtly bee giuen, and ſo others iuſtly bee offended therewith. Which is not a ſmall comfort againſt the vncharitable cenſure of vnaduiſed perſons.
But make not thy ſelfe knowne to the man, vntill he ſhall hauehave done eating and drinking.] Go ſhe muſt, but ſo warily is ſhee to behaue her ſelfe, as ſhee ſhould not diſcouer her ſelfe, nor make her mind knowne, vntil he had ſupped, and was laid downe to reſt: ſo as her mind muſt be ſhewed in priuate, and to him alone. The night, and in priuate, make modest perſons vtter more freely their thoughts, then otherwiſe they would in the light, and before company. The phraſe of eating and drinking, implyeth feaſting,Matth. 24. Iſai. 22. 13. Exod. 32. 6. 1. King. 4. 20. as appeareth hence from verſe 7. and from other Scriptures: ſo then at ſuch a time as this, it may ſeeme, the Iſraelites feaſted & made merry, as a ſigne of gladnes and reioycing in the Lords bleſſings. Of feaſting, I will ſpeake afterwards in verſe 7. Here note, that Naomi held it the beſt time to ſpeake of marriage, when Boaz had well eaten and drunken; for then are men more apt to ſpeake freely, and to promiſe their good will, then at other times; this Naomi knew well, and therefore aduiſed Ruth to make vſe of it. Which beeing ſo, it ſhould make men at ſuch times more ſilent, and more obſeruant of their ſpeeches.